Orbit rallies to ‘end the housing crisis in a generation’

Tuesday, 17 March 2015

Thirty members of staff from Midlands-based Orbit Group are among thousands of people attending the Homes for Britain housing rally in Westminster today, lobbying politicians to ‘end the housing crisis in a generation’ and create a long-term plan for housing in the first year of a new government.

The Homes for Britain campaign will be joined by senior spokespeople from the five main parties, who will be pressed to commit to end the housing crisis within a generation. The campaign is calling on the next government to draw up a long-term plan within a year of taking office that sets out how it will achieve that.

There is a huge shortage of homes; England housebuilding figures hovered below the 125,000 mark for the sixth year in a row in 2014 - the lowest peacetime levels since the 1920s. For decades only half the 245,000 homes needed have been built.

Homes for Britain is campaigning for a move away from short-term measures to a long-term strategy to end the housing crisis for this generation and the next.

Paul Tennant, chief executive of Orbit Group, said “Three quarters of people in this country believe there is a housing crisis in England. By consistently not building enough homes we are already failing one generation of people, we cannot afford to fail another. We need rapid action from politicians to end the housing crisis. Orbit is proud to support the Homes for Britain campaign.”

The Homes for Britain campaign is being supported by 25 national housing bodies, representing all parts of the housing market from private housebuilders, to housing associations and local councils, as well as housing charities.